YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CONSTITUTIONMAKING PROCESS (ZAMBIA)

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1.What is your project? [1 sentence]

The main objective of this project is to engage young people, members of parliament and their political parties in the constitution-making process. It will also prepare young people to make input in the new constitution, defend progressive ideas that have so far been included in the first draft Constitution and raise their enthusiasm to participate in the national referendum.

2. How will your project use mobile tools and approaches? [2 sentences]

The project will use mobile tools such as Face book, Twitter, what’s up, Black Berry Massager, Short massage System and other tools to effectively reach to the youth various clauses in the Constitution such as the Bill of rights, Presidential running mate and other progressive clauses, it will promote debate among young people in Zambia who constitution more 60% of the country’s population.   

Advertisements about hot topics will be gotten on internet and through mobile service providers in order to have huge impact in this process that this country has failed to conclude for over 50 years.

3. Who will use it and why? [1 sentence]

Youths who are more inclined to mobile phones and laptops these days compared having books and hard copy materials to read, the method of using mobile tools will ensure that various clauses in Zambia’s constitutional reform process are extensively debated hence seeing high levels submissions on the constitutional reform process.

4. Please list three ways they would learn about your project.

• The project will undertake civic education to support the adoption of content of the Constitution through the national referendum;

• The project will mobilize young people in urban and rural areas to make submissions and defend

progressive inclusions in the draft Constitution and offer a platform for young people to

actively participate during debates on the new draft Constitution;

• The voice of the youth will have a impact in this process as they will actively participate in the whole process.

5. What connections have you made, or will you make, with others [communities, organizations or networks] about your project? [2 sentences]

This project will work already existing originations such as the Young African Leaders Initiative [YALI] is a non-partisan and non-profit making coalition of young leaders whose mission is to engage, support, and empower young leaders to create change through promotion of democracy, civil engagement, good governance and principled leadership.

YALI has been on the ground on issues to do with the Constitution and has a data base of youths contacts across the country this project will effectively partner with YALI to reach to a high number of youths also by using YALI’s face book page and its networks, other collaborating partners will be a number face book pages in Zambia that has a high

6. What part of the project have you already built? [1-2 sentences, feel free to include links]

3 smart phones, 3 internet modems and 4 laptops have been organized for the project,

The pages below, the networking with students associations and other partners.

https://www.facebook.com/ZambianYouthInConstitutionalReform?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/ZambianYouthInConstitutionalReform?ref=hl

https://www.facebook.com/groups/zapp.zambia/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/zambiayoung.leaders/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/159053699728/

7. What does success for your project look like? [1-2 sentences]

1. A strategy for youth engagement, sensitization and advocacy in the constitution

making process mapped;

2. Sensitization and advocacy activities conducted among young people and consolidated youth input in the new Constitution of Zambia;

3. Coordinated and effective participation of young people through shared common

agenda in the constitution making process agreed and adopted; and

4. A Young Leader’s Declaration on the Constitution developed and shared with various stakeholders.

8. What resources do you need to succeed? [1-2 sentences]

The Total project cost is $50397 which will include purchasing of smart phones for resource persons in 10 provinces on Zambia, each province will have 2 resource persons with a total of 20 resource persons, this budget will also include purchasing of 5 laptops in the areas where the resource persons don’t have the computers, a contact will entered to provide internet for the smart phones and laptops both purchased and those offered as in-kind support from promoters of this project. Resource persons will also purchase airtime to send Short Massages to high number of youths in collages, Universities, NGOs, Political parties and also the general citizenry through Various data bases we have with our networks.   

Advertisements about hot topics will be gotten on internet and through mobile service providers in order to have huge impact in this process that this country has failed to conclude for over 50 years.

Additional details:

Zambia has had four constitutional reviews since independence starting with the Chona

Commission (1972) which introduced a One-Party State, Mvunga Commission (1990) that recommended a Constitution that would bring back a plural political system to Zambia and Mwanakatwe Commission (1993) resulting in the 1996 amendment to the 1991 Constitution and introduced a parentage clause for Presidential candidates. The Mung’omba Commission (2003) produced what many consider to be more progressive but the Government rejected 80 per cent of its recommendation and the National Constitution Conference which came up with the 2010 Draft Constitution that was rejected by Parliament in 2011. Unfortunately, each Constitution has largelybeen rejected by most Zambians because of lacking constitutional legitimacy

In view of Article 79(2) and (3) of the current Constitution requiring that any amendment to Part III of the current constitution be subjected to a national referendum and parliamentary process in the enactment of the Constitution, this project will specifically engage members of parliament and their political parties by increasing dialogue between young people and their elected representatives on content of the Constitution and the need to maintain progressive clauses in the draft Constitution.

There is no doubt that only a Constitution resulting from an all-inclusive constitution-making process would enjoy legitimacy and durability. Zambia has a total population of 13,046,508. Statistics show that 68% of the population in Zambia comprises children and the youth. To be specific, the youth aged between 18 – 35 make 28% of the population while the children between 0 – 17 years consist of 40%. With a total of 5,223,316 registered voters, youth voters of 2,892,873 represent 55.4% of all registered voters while 21% of eligible youth voters are not registered.

The engagement of this sector of our population is the bedrock for producing a Constitution that will last from generation to generation and entrench democratic governance. The Constitution making process must empower young people by creating and opening avenues for their constructive participation.

Please list who is on your team: , Mundia P.Hakoola,Isaac Mwanza, Memory Kafula,Nkole Mwamba,Samson Mbewe,Susan Nyirongo,Niza Chisulo,Mwaka Mukwasa, Joseph Tembo,Dr. Emmanuel Makasa, Goodwell Lungu, Paul Shalala, Memory Chirwa and Andrew Ntewewe
Expected number of months to complete project: 12 months
Estimated Project Cost:$50397
Name: Mundia Hakoola
Twitter:
Email address: mundiaphakoola@yahoo.com/yalizambia2@gmail.com
Organization [if applicable]: The Young African Leaders Initiative [YALI]
City: Lusaka
Country: Zambia
How did you learn about the contest? Email sent to us by one our cooperating partners